Courageous Truth Follow-up

Friends in Christ:

It seems everyone wants to make everything be a "political" statement these days and then when we try to remain politically correct we forget that speaking God's truth isn't political at all. And that God is the one who gives us life, real liberty and true freedom.

So I've been having difficulty finding the RIGHT words to explain what it means to be an informed Christian-Catholic voter to other Christians who have different viewpoints than I do, but yet who are what I would call very faithful Christians. In that search I was sent this link to an awesome sermon -- Homily starts at 18:26, lasts about 20 minutes. I think it is the best I have heard on which issues should be and are of greatest importance in determining our vote.I pray that each of you are courageous enough to watch the entire message and to share it with others. 

My hope is that all Christians will be moved to vote to protect the most innocent, so that instead of being divided by politics, we and this country will be united in the only way possible-- for, in and by Christ. If you listen to the end you will also hear that the message is not just this priests own but comes from his bishop, so I forward it to you so that possibly you might be able to propose the same to others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881aDDE5qFY This is the youtube link to only the homily.

Please go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlenviZKuBw to hear Fr. John Lankeit speak at Mass on October 2, 2016.  Advance the video to 18:26 to begin his sermon. It takes about 20 minutes.

In light of this week's gospel 2 Tim3:14-4:2 Do NOT be afraid to speak the truth and remain faithful. Please find it in your heart not to be swayed by the secular press and the secular culture which has confused their law on "freedom" with God's law of love and life. 

Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

Blessings, 

Charlotte

A Bigger Picture

Friends of Faith:

Many of you know that for the past 2 ½ years I have been attending Diaconate formation classes every other Saturday with Stan (part of a 4 ½ year formal discernment and formation process to be ordained as a Deacon in the Catholic Church). And you probably have suspected that some of my reflections come from this experience.

Much like my Sunday homily notes, my notes from these classes are starred and underlined with years of reflection material that this once a week writing will never thoroughly reflect upon.

My notes can never fully capture all the who, what, when, where, why’s or how’s of God, of Jesus, or of the Spirit of the Church. Because to capture approximately 4,000 years of history before God sent His son, or another 2,000 years of church history since Jesus arrived, is a much bigger picture than any of us individually have the time, energy or brain to absorb, or that any book (even the Bible) could contain.

Only God has the power to see the big picture. Only God is big enough to design and hold together that picture.

“And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,^* to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” Eph 4: 11-16

And what happens when we think we know the big picture?

Our instructor this Saturday said, “In terms of our witness to the world Christian division is scandalous.”

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. Mk 3: 24-25

So with each passing day I search for the bigger picture to be revealed to me. I search not to be swayed by the devil’s work that tries to divide, scandalize and reform the Church beyond recognition. I seek discernment through prayer, through partaking of the Sacraments, and through continual learning of Church history—especially that of the very early Church. And I strive to avoid political rhetoric and social posturing which makes government (the people) believe they can become bigger than God, or a god by themselves.

Heavenly Father: Thank you for allowing me the time to spend in instruction and formation with those who have been equipped for ministry, and with those who are being trained for building up the body of Christ.  I yearn for total unity and true maturity of my own faith. And I hope that each of my Christian brothers and sisters will never stop seeking the bigger picture and will take full advantage of the tools (Sacraments) and the grace that your Son was sent to bring to us through the Church he left behind. Amen.

Pray constantly and seek to find unity through love.

It is the devil’s work to divide us. Jesus Christ left us His Church to unite us.
 God is the ultimate artist and He is wants each of us to unite to be a part of the big picture he designed.
Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving,
Charlotte

Courage

Friends of Faith:

"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they never perish." (John 10:27-28)

What does it take to hear the voice of God? Courage!

Am I afraid to seek God’s truth? Am I afraid to listen to God’s truth, or am I afraid to act on God’s truth when I find it? Or do I have the courage to respond to this gift of the Spirit?

I need courage to stand up and be a faithful Christian: to know him, to love him and to serve him. It takes courage to hear his voice, to follow his voice and to serve Him, by putting Him ahead of me.

And it takes even greater courage to lead others back into the fold of the sanctuary of God’s flock, to lead by example and speak up for His righteousness.

“Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” Psalm 96:6

Nothing in this world is easy. Individually, there are always challenges and conflicts to do what is right (to follow the commandments).

But what is not from God is from the devil, so until we have the courage to turn to God, to resist what is easy (or looks easy, or a way to “happy”) we will remain an easy target for evil.

And as a society it takes each of us as individuals to change and to have courage:  to choose to forgive instead of becoming angry; to choose to seek God in church on Sunday morning instead of sleeping in or attending a ball game; and to speak the truth instead of being politically correct.

Courage means making a choice FOR God—listening for, hearing and answering His voice.

Heavenly Father, Your flock is blessed with the beauty of Your sanctuary. Help me to have the strength to bear the sufferings of difficult choices. Help me to listen to Your voice. Give me the courage to seek Your truth. Give me the courage to share Your truth. Allow me to find the strength and beauty of Your sanctuary. Amen.

We are all his sheep. He knows us and we know His voice, but we must courageously listen. Will we have the courage to choose Him? Or will we choose the easy way out?

He is waiting for us to follow Him.

Blessings, 
Charlotte